Ground Bees

[Smiller1090]

A very large swarm of ground bees has decided to nest in my compost bin. We have very few number of warm days left. Should I try to rid them or just tolerate and let them be? So far they have not tried to sting us. They just showed up yesterday.

 

[sourland]

They can become very aggressive this time of year as next years reproductives are in the nest, and they are protecting them. As long as there no children or pets that can get near the nest you could let them be. I just eliminated a nest in my flower bed, and one down at the beagle club where they attacked a pair of dogs during a field trial.

 

[Smiller1090]

I have a 7 and a 9 year old, 2 dogs and the piles is only 10-15 feet from my duck run

 

[Smiller1090]

So far they have stayed on or near the pile because I have fresh apple and pear vinegar scraps on top

 

[Sally PB]

Sourland, how did you eliminate them? I'm assuming a spray...? Is there anything that would be considered organic for use on a compost pile?

I dug into a beehive this last spring when I was digging up some dirt for my Big Dirt Project. I gave up on that dirt when I got stung twice.

 

[Rldad1]

If those are yellow jackets beware!! That nest can harbor several hundred of those aggressive stingers. You can spray the nest with a wasp and hornet spray but there is more than one opening to the nest and if you don't block all of them you may get mobbed. If there is any doubt then I recommend you get in touch with a pro. We uncovered one nest that was almost 3 feet in diameter. If your kids or dogs disturb them, it may mean a trip to the emergency room plus those stings hurt!

 

[Smiller1090]

I don’t have the money to pay a professional.

 

[Smiller1090]

Would diatomaceous earth possibly work?

 

[Rldad1]

Would diatomaceous earth possibly work?

No

 

[CluckerFamily]

I eliminated ground hornets by pouring soap water on the nest twice a day. I filled a coffee container with soap water, and slowing killed the Japanese beetles by putting them in the soap water, then the container was dumped on the nest. Once in the morning and once around dusk.